Square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry of menadione (vitamin K(3))

Menadione (vitamin K(3)) undergoes a reversible two-electron transfer involving the quinone structure in acidic medium. As demonstrated by using cyclic voltammetry, the reduced form is more strongly adsorbed than the oxidized one. Stripping voltammetry of an adsorbed layer has been applied to the determination of this molecule after preconcentration of the reduced compound and scanning the potential towards less negative values. Adsorption, which is highly effective when stirring is used, approaches an equilibrium process in quiescent solution, as evidenced by a loss of part of the adsorbed material when stirring is stopped. A square-wave mode has been selected owing to its high sensitivity (the current is 20 times that for the differential pulse mode), but also to its high scan-rate, which minimizes the slow desorption process occurring during the scan. A concentration range from 2 x 10(-10) to 5 x 10(-7)M is easily investigated, the detection limit being 1.3 x 10(-10)M. The influence of several operational parameters has also been considered.